


The Cabin

by ginatoldmeso



Series: Steve Grant Rogers / Chris Evans ONE-SHOTS [7]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Angst, Destiny, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluffy Ending, Light Angst, Modern AU, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Road Trips, Romantic Fluff, Steve Rogers Has PTSD, Triggers, War, War Veteran Steve Rogers, Weddings, veterinarian reader, winter road trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 17:40:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17430494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginatoldmeso/pseuds/ginatoldmeso
Summary: A winter road trip helps you remember how much you care about Steve





	The Cabin

[Originally posted by jessewoodhouse](https://tmblr.co/Zk61rg2UJ-jOx)

_Her gaze remains stubbornly fixed on the window as the car runs along the freeway, the bare trees outside darting in front of her eyes. The icy sunlight reflecting in the snow makes everything a little too bright. The air is freezing, and the cold winter breeze dances silently around the branches. She can almost feel it on her skin, despite the heat coming from the air-conditioner. A soft tune plays on the radio. She doesn’t know the song, she never does, but it’s something cheerful and corny about love and it makes her want to roll her eyes so bad.  
_

_From the passenger seat, she throws a glance at Steve. Too proud to reach his face, her eyes linger on his hands. He’s wearing an old flannel shirt. It’s too large, and the hem of the sleeves almost covers his fingers clenched around the wheel. She can’t see the smile on his face, as he wonders for how long she’s going to sulk before she huffs and kisses him._

_She knows a lot about love, probably more than whoever wrote the cheesy lines blasting from the radio. She’s always let her emotions guide her, even when she was just a kid. Good or bad, she felt everything with such intensity that the line between happiness and pain was often subtle. That’s why she remembered them all. Her high school crush, the boy who used to bully her in kindergarten, that cute girl who had paid for her cab when she had lost her wallet._

_Yes, (y/n) (y/l/n) knows a lot about love, but mostly she knows how to love Steve Rogers. And even though she’s trying her best to look annoyed, she considers herself lucky for every moment she gets to spend with him. It doesn’t really matter that the man is too damn stubborn to ask for directions despite the fact that they’re clearly lost. She knows way too well how a life without Steve would feel, and she’s not interested._

_She rests head against the leather seat and she tightly wraps a blanket around her shoulders, as a troubled slumber finds its place on her eyelids._

 

***

You and Steve have known each other since you were little. Your mothers were friends, so you spent loads of time together. Much to their disappointment, the deep friendship they shared didn’t seem to be their children’s destiny, at least in the beginning. Steve was stubborn and reckless to the point of idiocy, and it drove you crazy. Of course, you weren’t any better. He couldn’t stand your snarky comments and your drive to turn everything into a competition. Thinking about it now, you couldn’t help but find it hilarious that the things you used to hate the most about each other were now some of the main reasons why you loved one another so deeply.

It took you years before you’d actually started to see the real Steve. To you, he had always seemed just a skinny kid who started fights he couldn’t win because he had something to prove. And to him, all you did was act bitchy so that the others could see how tough you were when in reality all you wanted was to avoid confrontation. Deep inside you actually admired his strength, just as he believed in yours, but that didn’t prevent you from jumping at each other’s throat every time you were in the same room for more than 5 minutes.

All that had changed the year of the summer camp. You were about 13 years old, Steve was a few years older. There was a tree house where some of the boys used to hang, and you wanted to join them. But as soon as you had approached the ladder, they started laughing. One of them had the nerve to stand in your way and tell you that girls weren’t allowed. You had initially tried to talk him into letting you join them, trying your hardest not to punch him in the face, but somehow things had ended up with him pushing you and your butt hitting the ground. Next thing you knew, Steve was there, a sketchbook in his hand and an angry expression on his face. He had stood up for you, even though things had escalated quickly and they’d kicked his ass.

Your first reaction as you lied in the dirt had been anger. Not just towards those idiots, but toward Steve as well. Because you didn’t need his help, you were no damsel in distress. The fact that he’d tried to fight them for you was a slap in the face, a sign that he didn’t see how strong you were, and it made you both furious and hurt. Nevertheless, as soon as you had met his eyes you had realized how wrong you were. You remember asking him why would he do something that stupid, and he had simply replied: “I don’t like bullies”. It was written all over his face, all he ever wanted was to do the right thing and stand up for what he believed in. Or whom he believed in. You had picked up his sketchbook from the ground and listened to him talking about art for hours. That was it. That day, was the day you were done for, even though you didn’t know it yet.

Time went by, and not a day had passed when your love for Steve Rogers hadn’t grown. He was your confidant, your safe place, and everything that happened in your life you wanted to share with him. Soon enough, you couldn’t fool yourself anymore. His happiness was everything you desired, but it wouldn’t have felt right if he was to share it with someone else. In fact, you knew that letting him go would’ve been your biggest regret.

It took you years to finally find the courage to tell him how you felt. You remember everything about that day, every small detail, every glance, every touch. You can still taste your first kiss on your lips. For your eighteenth birthday, you had gone to your family’s lake house, just you, Steve and some friends. While everybody was asleep, you had gone on the balcony to get some fresh air and he was there.

“Can’t sleep?”

Steve had smiled. “There’s- too much silence. It ain’t Brooklyn, for sure”

You had chuckled, as you wrapped your arms around him and he hugged you back tightly, as if scared that you would fly away.

“Steve”, you had started, inhaling sharply. “I-”

But the words didn’t leave your lips, and all you could do was stare into his eyes lit by the soft moonlight.

And yet, somehow he knew what you were going to say. For a split second, something that seemed like pain had flashed into his eyes, and your heart had skipped a beat. You had thought it was just a trick of the light. After all, naivety always comes with youth.

You had pressed your lips against his, slowly, hesitantly. You were trying to put all your trust and affection into that kiss, only to be met by Steve’s haste and desperation as his mouth moved hungrily against yours.

You couldn’t have said for how long you two had stayed like that, clinging onto each other and unable to let go.

“I’m in love with you, Steven Grant Rogers”

The laughter had died in your throat once you had seen the tears filling his eyes. He had tenderly stroked your cheek, pulling you even closer.

“I’ve enlisted. I’m leaving in a month”

That night you had understood why love had always scared you. Love made things real, and everything  _real_  can _hurt_  you.

  


[Originally posted by cevansnews](http://tmblr.co/ZvPOMk2RSNe6j)

 

The following month you had tried to make up for all those years you had lost by being late. There had been your first date, at the Met. Your first dinner with your parents. Your first night together. And your first fight, when he insisted that he didn't want you to wait for him because he couldn’t stand to cause you so much pain, and you told him that you were always gonna wait for him either he wanted it or not. The two of you had parted with a kiss, and a promise.

While he was away, you had done what you could not worry. You had thrown yourself in your job. It didn’t work, of course, but it was all you could do. You had become a veterinarian, and you loved every minute of it. But Steve had come home 5 times in 6 years of service and it was hard. 

You wrote pages and pages where you told him everything that happened to you or your friends so that he could somehow feel part of the life he was missing. He emailed you back every time he could. Almost always short messages, ten lines or less, and they all ended with ‘I love you’ and ‘I’ll come back to you soon’.

Captain Rogers had finally come home after six years of absence, with a medal of valour. They called it an honourable discharge, but all you could see was a scarred man that had left a part of himself on the battlefield. You could immediately tell that he wasn’t the same.

You had read books about PTSD, but it wasn’t the same as watching the man you loved torturing himself for something that you couldn’t understand. He kept searching for threats, seeing dangers when everyone else saw normality. After years of constant vigilance, normality didn’t feel natural anymore. You had to learn how to anticipate his reactions and recognize all of his triggers. It had taken some time, but all that mattered to you was to alleviate his pain. The worst thing was that he never wanted to talk about it, not with you and not with anyone else. You knew that he was simply scared of overwhelming you and losing you, but that didn’t make it easier.

The best thing was to give him space and at the same time be there for him, trying to help him see the beauty around him, so that’s what you did. He started sharing pieces of the past years with you. He started painting again. Eventually, it got better, especially from the moment you brought the dog home. She was a beautiful German Shepherd, almost 30 pounds of joy. Steve had called her Friede, like the German for ‘peace’. She had been a huge help, and you both loved her like a child.

Now that Steve was back, you had the life you had always dreamt about. True, he still had bad days. But you faced them together, one step at a time, and you still loved him like the night at the lake, if not more.

##  *******

  


[Originally posted by filmgifs](http://tmblr.co/Zxv_Xb2XrccfZ)

 

You glance at Steve from the passenger seat. You’re still half asleep, which makes it easier to say the words you can’t help but speak.

“I’m sorry”

Your murmur reaches him, and he grins, not looking away from the road.

“Nah, it’s okay. We’ve been in the car for hours, you were just tired”

The hint of amusement in his voice makes you roll your eyes.

“Yeah, that or the fact that you don’t know where you’re going and you’re too macho to ask for directions”

At that, he burst into heartfelt laughter.

“I thought you loved adventures”, he teases, and you give him a death glare which only increases his amusement. “C’mon, trust me a little, will ya? I perfectly know where we are, you don’t have to worry”

Your cock an eyebrow, skeptical, but then you sigh.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t because we should’ve reached the coast by now, but it doesn’t matter”

Steve’s lips are pursed as if he’s trying to prevent himself smiling, and his eyes are glinting with pride. But when he speaks, his voice sounds innocently casual.

“Doesn’t matter, huh? How so?”

“Because”, you shrug, “Even though we are lost and we’re probably gonna freeze to death without the chance to say goodbye to our dog… I’m just happy to be with you”

Before Steve has the time to reply, you groan. “Ugh, that was  _way_  too corny! What the hell is wrong with me, I’m-”

And while you keep cursing at yourself for saying something so cheesy, you miss realizing that the car has stopped.

“We’re here”, announces Steve, flashing you a bright smile. You frown in response.

“Come again?”, you looked outside the window, confused. “Wait, I know this place…”

Steve doesn’t say anything, he just smiles as he opens the car door for you. You take a few steps, looking around with widened eyes. The snow is falling slowly on the log cabin in front of you. Suddenly, you can’t believe you didn’t recognize the road sooner. You stare at Steve, waiting for an answer to your silent question.

“Told ya I knew where I was going”, he chuckles, putting his arm around your shoulders and kissing your head. You can suddenly feel his breath against the shell of your ear. “Oh, and for the record, that was  _extremely_  cheesy but I feel the same way”

The place of the summer camp. You can see the tree house from where you stand, even though it’s covered in snow. You shake your head in awe and you flash a smile at Steve.

“Why are we here?”

Without a word, he guides you towards the cabin and takes out a key from his pocket.

“I rented this as a surprise”, he explains. The inside is small but more than enough for two. And it’s  _cozy_. There’s a glass wall from where you can see the woods outside. Once again, you catch a glimpse of the tree house. You observe Steve while he lights the fire, wondering what’s going on.

He must’ve sensed it, because he smirks and makes his way towards you, in front of the glass window.

“Here”, he says as he gestures vaguely at the space around him, “it’s where I first fell in love with you”

You snort. “I see. You mean, when you tried to teach those boys a lesson about sexism and you got your ass kicked but then we both became marginally less annoying in each other’s presence, right?”

He snickers, shaking his head. “As enjoyable as it might have been for you, no, that’s not what I meant”.

He catches your lips in a quick warm kiss before continuing. “I’m talking about that time when that little girl kept crying because she was homesick, and you threatened everyone to punch them in the face if they dared to make fun of her”

“Damn, I was a terrible kid”, you comment. He nods.

“Yeah, you were terrifying”, he teases, but then gives you a serious look. “That summer, you spent  _all_  your time with her, until the end of the camp”

“I remember”, you frown. “But that must’ve been, like, 16 years ago or something”

Steve smiles. “I know”

A subtle crease appears between your eyes. “But we hated each other’s guts”

Steve laughs heartily. “I wouldn’t say _so_. We were just… very different, I guess”

“That’s one way to put it”, you mutter, but he ignores you.

“That summer I noticed you for the first time. I saw you, the real you”, he whispers, caressing your hair, and you can’t help but smile. “How caring you were. How strongly you wanted to protect the people around you, and how selfless and beautiful you were”

Steve’s low voice is the only sound in the room, along with the cracks of the fire.

“I can’t believe you saw all that”, you smirked. “I actually just liked to threaten people”

He rolls his eyes at your jokes, but a soft chuckle leaves his lips.

“Alright. Take my hand”, he commands.

You snort, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I’m trying to ask you to marry me, so take my damn hand!”, exclaims Steve as he scoffs, whilst a glint of amusement lights up his eyes.

Unable to speak, you give him your hand. Your lips curve into a content smile as he grabs it.

“(y/n) (y/l/n)”, he starts in a hoarse tone. “You’re the love of my life. I’ve loved you since we were kids, I loved you when I didn’t even like you”, he chuckles, and you giggle. He stares into your eyes. “When I came back from that place, I didn’t know if I could still love you, nor if you could love the man I had become. And yet, I fell for you all over again. No medal or prize can compare to the honour that is loving you”

Hot tears start running down your cheeks, and for the first time in your life, you don’t feel the need to wipe them out. You smile at Steve, and he beams. With his free hand, he reaches into the pocket of his jeans and takes out a small velvet box. Inside there’s a shiny ring. Simple, with a small diamond on top. It’s beautiful.

“What do you say?”, he asks with a grin.

The brightest smile graces your lips.

“I say Friede will be the  _prettiest_  ring bearer”

Your future husband bursts out laughing, before catching you in his arms. No kiss has ever tasted better than the one that follows. It tastes like happiness and fulfilled promises.


End file.
